The Awakening' by Kate Chopin: The Transformation of Edna into an Idealist Woman
The Awakening by Kate Chopin is about Edna Pontellier who at first is a distant mother and wife seeming self involved yet she still does her duties of taking care of her children and meeting the standards of a wife. Throughout the novel she starts to find her identity and what she wants to do for herself. It begins with small changes but eventually she does bigger changes that may or may not have consequences. An important event that causes her to change into an idealistic woman is when she starts to spend most of her time with Robert at the Grand Isle.
In the beginning of the novel Edna doesn’t focus much on her husband and doesn’t take care of her children. Edna does not show the slightest interest in what her husband has to say and doesn’t attempt to have conversations with him, “He thought it very discouraging that his wife, who was the sole subject of his existence, evinced so little interest in things which concerned him, and valued so little his conversation”. From the very beginning she has shown how disinterested she is in the life that she has but goes on doing what she needs to do because she has no other option. Mrs. Pontellier even shows disinterest to her own children, the only person she is interested is herself, “Mrs. Pontellier was quite sure Raoul had no fever… Mr. Pontellier was too well acquainted with fever symptoms to be mistaken”. Edna quickly checked her child and didn’t really bother to pay attention if her child was actually sick. Edna from the very beginning was already showing disinterest in her, it was just a matter of time for something to make Edna realize that wants to stop living her life and explore what is beyond her.
After Edna spends most of her time with Robert at the Grand Isle she gets closer to him, they build a relationship based on being the same age and being able to understand each other as friends. To Edna surprise she slowly starts to get feelings for Robert and she knows it but hasn’t fully realized it because she is not used to getting feelings for others. “She laid her spoon down and looked about her bewildered. He had been with her, reading to her all the morning, and had never even mentioned such a place as Mexico”, upon the news that Edna received she felt an emotion of betrayal, all the time she has spent with Robert he never mentioned going to Mexico. Edna’s progression was quick, Edna’s emotions is what makes her want to find her true identity but it leaves her to an idealistic identity that was too late for her to reach. The feeling she has for Robert leaves her feeling like she wants nothing to do with her marriage, she doesn’t want to be bound to a man she doesn’t love, “Once she stopped, and taking off her wedding ring, flung it upon the carpet… she stamped her heel upon it, striving to crush it”. Edna tried so hard to break the ring, she realized that it meant nothing to her and she wanted to destroy the meaning behind it. Her idealistic progression starts here, she realizes that she wants to get out of the marriage, she will not let a ring control the life she will lead for herself.
Upon realizing her true feelings Edna decides that she doesn’t want to live in a house where nothing is hers. She makes an idealistic choice of moving around the corner from where she currently lives, “Mademoiselle, I am going to move away from my house on Esplanade Street”. Edna wants to be independent but the chances of her actually being independent are low because she hasn’t talked with her husband about how she truly feels. Idealistically she is making choices without thinking them through or talking to someone about it first. Although she knows that she loves Robert she has never said it out loud to herself before until she talked with Mademoiselle Reisz, “You are purposely misunderstanding me, ma reine. Are you in love with Robert? Yes, said Edna. It was the first time she had admitted it, and a glow overspread her face, blotching it with red spots”. Edna progressed into someone being honest about her feelings, she is aware of how she feels and hasn’t held back from acting on it. The fact that Edna is aware about her feelings she has yet to talk to Mr. Pontellier about it. Edna thinks that by moving away from him she won’t have to be obligated to him. The fact is is that Edna is trying to find her identity while being a marriage and making decisions can cost her a lot.
Edna starts to explore her feelings, she has gone out with people and has spent more time with Alcee Arobin who is known to be a flirtatious man. Since Edna chose to not be obligated to anyone she followed what she desired, “But among the conflicting sensations which assailed her, there was neither shame nor remorse. There was a dull pang of regret because it was not the kiss of love which had inflamed her, because it was not love which had held this cup of life to her lips”. Edna was still a married woman but that didn’t matter to her, what mattered was her exploring the sensations she was feeling. With Robert gone she felt lonely and the only way she could fulfill her needs is by having sexual relations with someone who didn’t mean nothing to her. At this point throughout the novel Edna had only cared for herself and didn’t think about what the consequences could be, she let her feelings get in the way of her decision making.
Besides Edna feeling independent, lonely, infatuation, she is now feeling jealousy when Robert comes back. Edna didn’t try to hide how she feels about him, “What was she like-the one who gave you the pouch? You must have known her very well”. Robert comes back but with a new pouch and to Edna’s observation she realizes that it isn’t his old one. At that moment a lot went through Edna’s mind, she didn’t know if Robert actually loved her. With Robert back Edna can’t contain herself, all she wants to do is be with him, she wants to find out how he truly feels. Robert finally confessed his love to Edna and she returned the feelings back, “She leaned over and kissed him”. Edna has everything she wants now but she doesn’t realize that she can live out the dream she wants with Robert. After the intimate moment they were having Edna still states that she doesn’t belong to anyone, even to the person she loves, “I am no longer one of Mr. Pontellier’s possessions to dispose of or not. I give myself where I choose”. Her progression after Robert is back has grown to be an independent woman even with her idealistic beliefs. Edna realizes that she is allowed to belong to herself only but that doesn’t make her realize that she can never realistically be Robert without causing chaos around her.
Edna has awoken from spending her time with Robert, she opened her eyes and realized that she was living her life on set rules that she didn’t want to follow. At last Edna does the final thing that transforms her into a brand new person, “I love you,” she whispered, “only-you; no one but you. It was you who awoke me last summer out of a life-long, stupid dream”. Edna becomes more idealistic throughout the novel, she thinks she has woken up but really she keeps dreaming about something that could never happen. Through everything Edna thinks that she can have sweet moments with Robert, “When she thought that he was there at hand, waiting for her, she grew numb with the intoxication of expectancy. It was so late; he would be asleep perhaps. She would awaken him with a kiss. She hoped he would be asleep that she might arouse him with her caresses”. Edna is fantasizing over things she could to Robert, she is in a world full of bliss. She doesn’t have everything planned yet she wants to make decisions based on how she feels.
Edna has progressed into an idealistic person who has open a gate full of emotions she has never experienced before. There was a lot of things she didn’t get to experience but her time with Robert has certainly changed her into an independent woman but idealistic as well. Throughout the novel Edna can be seen as not loving and very closed off but she starts to progress into making decisions that have consequences.
